Used vs New Tools

Used I’ve bought and sold plenty of tools on Craigslist, so I used them to find the used tool prices listed above. As in all things, buyer beware. Know what the tool is worth in the condition it’s being offered before you buy.

New Sometimes you can’t find the used tool you need for this weekend’s molding project, and you don’t want to wait, so you go buy something new for full price. That’s what I did when I needed a table saw to start Our Kitchen Molding Makeover.

I ended up with a much lower quality table saw over what I could have had if I had waited to buy a used one, but at least I did get the features I wanted — it just is not a precision machine like what I’m used to.

My Favorite Tool Brands

But for longer-lasting, precision tools I prefer Bosch, Makita, Hitachi, Milwaukee, Porter Cable, Senco, Accuset, and a few Dewalt tools.

Of course there are options and accessories you can buy for most of these tools, and they are all very tempting. But the tools in this list are the tools that will make installing moldings a joy, rather than a chore.